Pray for Marriages (The Chosen Path)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

Why is it that the journey of some couples appears to be a stroll along a road paved with brick and lined with flowers, while other couples are given a path of rocky cliffs with thorns and thistles? We don’t exactly know the answer to that, but we only know the narrow view we see. Perhaps the rose-lined path has frequent storms? Perhaps the rocky cliffs, are caressed with cool gently breezes? Let us meditate on the fact that the Lord always gives us custom-made crosses, never leaves or forsakes us, and always seeks to perfect us in this world so that we may live an eternity with Him. What a gift!

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.  John 12:24-26

Lifted through prayer for one another, let us die to self, embrace our crosses, follow Him, and sing songs of praise to He who loves us so much, He wants to be with us forever!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

We always need more prayer. Pass it on! 

Pray for Families (Recreation, Prayer, and Blessings)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

This evening while in the darkened wilderness, I was able to gaze upon the stars, see the NEOWISE Comet, ponder the heavens, and glory in God’s creation. How often we fail to recognize all his blessings because we are not taking the time to stop, look, and see!

The moon and stars to rule the night, for his mercy endures forever. 

Psalms 136:9

This summer, take time to stay engaged, play with your family, and pray together. Most importantly, don’t forget to ponder his blessings and give glory to God!

Then rest and rejuvenate in Him. 

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest… 

Proverbs 24:33

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

There is never enough prayer. Add more voices. Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (The Perfect Union)

Greetings Prayer Warriors, 

While away on vacation, I have been reflecting on the fact that I have been sending out these reminders encouraging prayer for marriage and family, for over 10 years.  I was never very clear as to why I felt called to ask people to pray for marriage and family, but somehow knew I was supposed to. Little did I know that in less than 10 years, traditional marriage and family would be under such attack!  But of course, the Lord knew.  

Satan attacks marriages as an indirect attack on Christ’s church. Attacks are becoming less indirect and more direct, with a focus on the Church, since marriages are dissolving or often not occurring at all. As you pray for marriages today, also pray for the preservation of the institution of marriage, which represents the union of Christ and His Church*.  

Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:1-8

My message remains simple. Pray without ceasing for marriages!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Create the largest prayer chain. Pass it on! 

*CCC 1661

Pray for Marriages (Unscheduled Conflict)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

While walking with a friend, she mentioned that a couple she knew was having marital problems since the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. The wife used to travel frequently for work and now she can’t, thus the constant togetherness was creating conflict or rather bringing to light existing issues. Undoubtedly, they are not alone, as many are facing unexpected shifts in their work routines, ranging from working at home to no longer having a job. Adding to the stress, many now also juggle kids at home, online school, cancelled summer programs, and postponed vacations. 

Will there be a post-COVID rise in divorces? Not if we keep praying for all the couples among us! 

In the shadow of your wings I take refuge till the storms of destruction pass by.  Psalms 57:2

Merciful God, to each couple being tossed by the storms of change, grant them the wisdom to anchor on the Rock, creating the stability they need to weather the storms. For those worn down by responding to the multiple demands of work, children, and spouse, grant them patience and perseverance. For those awakened to the fact that they aren’t in total control of their lives, grant them the grace to draw closer to You, who desires to lead them to eternal happiness. For those disillusioned by marriage, fill them with your love and the hope that never disappoints. 

I will betroth you to me forever: I will betroth you to me with justice and with judgment, with loyalty and with compassion; I will betroth you to me with fidelity, and you shall know the LORD.  Hosea 2: 21-22

For a renewed peace in your marriage, rest in Him. For abundant joy, follow Him. For love beyond  your expectations, surrender to his holy will. 

Peace, Joy, and Love, 

Janet

God always responds to your call. That’s why he is always “The Answer”. 😊 Pass it on!  

Pray for Families (True Freedom)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

It happens to many people and seems to span the generations. At some point in their life, they experience an “identity crisis” and think they need to “find themselves” and discover who they really are. Interestingly, what they choose to do next rarely puts an end to their questions.

However today, while listening to a podcast, I heard something on “identity” that was simply profound. It came from a man who experienced homosexual feelings, but chose to instead live a life centered in Christ. His comments apply to all of us, since we are all sinners.

God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

The man began, “Sin, and our fallenness, taints every area of our life. That means that everyone is fallen in their sexuality and in that sense I’m not unique. I can’t just read off from my inclinations how God had made me, because sin has skewed how we are meant to be. I can’t just say that if I have feelings of same sex attraction that must be how God has created me, therefore they must be good, because that just affirms Genesis 1 & 2 but ignores 3.

At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

He continued, “We only know who we truly are when we meet the person who made us. Our identity can never be something we discover, it can never be something we create, it can only be what we receive. So. I am who Jesus Christ says I am.  I am created in the image of God.  I’m created (as a male) in the image of God and I am redeemed and adopted and I’m a son of God. That is the core of my identity and all of those things are eternally true and they never change. It doesn’t matter whether I am having a good or bad day, all those things are always true in a way my sexual feelings are not. They may be deep, they may feel very significant, but they are not part of my eternal identity. And so therefore I shouldn’t make them part of my core identity now because they are not fundamentals of who I am. They’re temporary, thankfully. Our sexual feelings are not constant. Either in intensity or sometimes even in direction.  So it’s a very unstable thing [on which] to locate your deepest sense of identity. We’ve got to take our identity from God, from scripture and what scripture tells us and that’s always going to be healthier. And why that is good news is that if my identity is my sexuality, then I’m not really living unless I’m fulfilling my sexuality. My whole sense of being whole and complete and authentic and self-actualized is going to be dependent on me fulfilling my sexuality. Whereas, if that is not the core of my being and of my identity, actually, it doesn’t matter if I don’t fulfill it because it isn’t the be all and end all. “

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Let us pray that we all discover our true identity as chosen sons and daughters of God.  For that discovery always leads to true freedom and eternal happiness.

Here’s to freedom under God!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Help someone see themselves as God sees them…a masterpiece!  Pass it on! 

Pray for Marriages (Identiiying with the Saints!)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

Thank you, Lord, for the saints! I love them not because of all their perfections but because of all their faults, since I can relate to those! Meditating on their lives should give everyone hope, for we are shown that even the greatest sinner can become a saint!  St. Peter, one of the first apostles and a good friend of Jesus, denied even knowing Him, not once, but 3 times, yet Jesus gave him the keys to the kingdom, making him the first pope! Saul (later to be St. Paul), self-righteously took it upon himself to murder Christians, but the Lord later used him as a perfect tool to build Christianity.  Beloved David was both an adulterer and a murder, but in the end, the Lord blessed him and his descendants.  

The Divine Healer seeks to transform all hearts no matter how hardened or injured they’ve become. And sometimes, like he did with Paul, He jolts us from our wayward, self-destructive path. In that moment of grace, if we respond to it, we too will be given the opportunity to refocus our lives and toward the path of righteousness. 

As we pray for marriages, let us ask the Lord to transform each heart according to one's unique need. May old scars heal, allowing the heart to flow with tender love. May stony hearts be pulverized so that they may once again beat with empathy and compassion. May the hearts that are surrounded by impenetrable fortresses be healed of fear and mistrust, becoming instead a castle of love. 

And I will give them another heart and a new spirit I will put within them. From their bodies I will remove the hearts of stone, and give them hearts of flesh, so that they walk according to my statutes, taking care to keep my ordinances. Thus they will be my people, and I will be their God. 

Ezekiel 11:19-20

Lord, you know exactly what it takes to command the attention of each one of your children. Hear their prayers, our prayers, so that we may find the path that leads to everlasting life. Help us persevere when we want to quit, help us love when we don’t feel like it, help us forgive, so that we may be assured of your forgiveness.  Lord be our strength! Amen!

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

1 Corinthians 15:57

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Prayer provides the next rung on the stairway to heaven.  Persevere in prayer one day at a time! Pass it on!

Pray for Families (Self Reflection and Amendment)

Greetings Prayer Warriors,

In the midst of each day, carve out some quiet time and spend it with the Lord.  Ask Him to show you what in your life pleases Him and what offends Him. Don’t resist His answer, because sin makes us blind to the true state of our souls.  Reflect on the latter and make an amendment to change. Pray for the fortitude and will to do so.  After your own self-evaluation, ask Him how you should direct your prayer for each family member. Pray that they too may become more pleasing to the Lord. 

“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”  Matthew 8:2

Then I remembered the mercies of the LORD, his acts of kindness through ages past; For he saves those who take refuge in him, and rescues them from every evil. Sirach 51:8

Good Shepherd, keep us all within your loving gaze and never tire of seeking us when we are lost. Save us from the thicket into which we frequently and often defiantly wander. For you alone remain our protector, consoler, healer, and loving Father. You alone are always compassionate and merciful to the contrite of heart. Hear our collective prayers for our family and loved ones that we may all walk through the narrow gate to a heavenly eternity with you. Amen.

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Janet

Collective prayer for one another is very powerful. Punch up the power by passing it on!